Spirited
by Azamiko
Summary: Shorts and drabbles. Probably plotless. Now with even more crackpairings!
1. Ask me no questions

A series of shorts, most likely...This has been floating in my head for a while now. Don't any of the other characters ever wonder why Mai was hired?

* * *

APPLICATION ACCEPTED

When Houshou Takigawa (otherwise known as Monk-san) thought to ask Naru _why_ he had hired Mai, even though he was always pointing out her deficiencies, Naru had merely glared at the older man and reminded him that, really, it was none of his business. This, of course, made Monk-san even more curious but still nervous enough that he stopped asking. Neither he nor any of the other helpers at SPR liked to get on Naru's bad side, if anyone could kill with a glare, it would be Naru.

When Mai asked Naru why she'd been hired—in the middle of a rant about how mean her boss was—he simply said that he'd already told her the answer when he'd first hired her: another worker had quit, and she had seemed—at that time—fairly competent. Mai had pushed for no more answers about that, and instead began muttering about the use of the words 'seemed competent.'

Lin never asked Naru why he'd hired Mai. She was a hard worker, when Monk-san wasn't distracting her, and she seemed interested in their work. So, Lin put aside any resentment he might have still felt over their first meeting and resigned himself to a louder workplace than he was used to.

Naru never thought about why he'd hired Mai. Once the idea had popped into his head, it wouldn't go away until it was done. He never thought about the (rightfully) suspicious looks she's shot at him while her friends had fawned over his good looks. He never thought about how many different girls he'd had to call to find any information on her, or the fact that the only information he found about her personal life was that she was an orphan struggling to pay for food and other 'extras' that the scholarships didn't provide. Naru never thought about how cheerful she was, or how curious, or how lonely she looked when he told her not to bother waiting to say goodbye to him.

Naru never thought about these things, and it wouldn't occur to him to mention them if someone (such as Madoka) somehow managed to force an answer from him. It was very rare for Naru to rely on intuition or to act without thinking, but it was even rarer for him to admit to some sympathy for another person. So, of course, if he were seriously asked and forced to answer, he'd repeat that she'd seemed interested and competent and leave it at that. That was enough for him, and any other thoughts he might have had about his part-time worker were his own business. Anyway, he should be getting back to work, so whoever might be asking should go out and bug Mai. She was always willing to take a break, after all. Sometimes he wondered why he had hired that girl.


	2. PTWU

Semi-crack, crossover...Just cuz I was reading XxxHolic fics...Obviously, I don't own anything.

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PART-TIME WORKERS UNITED

"You think YOUR job is bad?!" Mai Taniyama gave an annoyed bark of laughter. It was a Saturday, and she'd wandered into the drug store with a two-page-long list of supplies that Naru and the other workers absolutely _needed_. So, of course it was the young part-timer who was sent out to buy them, no matter that it had taken her over a half hour to even find a drug store in this strange area.

"Well, it's worse than yours, I'm sure!" The boy she'd literally run into in the shop was pretty interesting, she had to admit. He was tall and lanky with eyes that didn't quite match and an energetic (read: flailing) mode of conversing.

"My boss is completely INSANE! She's an alcoholic, never explains anything, sends me out on jobs that she KNOWS I can't complete on my own. PLUS! She makes me cook, clean, and KEEPS TEASING ME about this absolutely ANNOYING guy who is NOT my boyfriend!" His arms waved frantically, as if it somehow demonstrated his point.

"Ha! At least your boss has a personality! My boss is arrogant, narcissistic, and CRANKY!" At this point, Mai began pacing the aisle, ignoring the various allergy medications that Monk-san had asked her to buy for him.

"He does nothing but bark orders, tell me that I'm stupid, get me into dangerous situations without taking any responsibility for them…And, I swear, the guy's a robot! The only emotions he ever shows are irritation and smug superiority!"

Her fellow complainer—whose name she'd learned was Kimihiro Watanuki—looked a little suspicious.

"Are you sure his name isn't Doumeki?! That sounds just like the guy my boss keeps trying to hook me up with!" For all that he'd been complaining about the boy, Watanuki certainly didn't seem to like the idea that Doumeki might have friends that Watanuki didn't know about.

"Nope, my boss spends almost all of his time at the office or on cases, so unless you've ever needed a 'ghost hunter,' you've never met him." Mai noted the almost panicked look on the boy's face, which turned into relief as the smaller of the store's workers came over to the pair.

"Um, excuse me, is anything wrong?" The feminine-looking boy, whose nametag read 'Kazahaya' flashed them a strained smile. Mai realized that they'd been practically shouting in the middle of the store.

"I'm sorry; we just got carried away." From the resigned look on Watanuki's face, Mai thought that such scenes must happen to him often. She wondered if he had some sort of problem with controlling himself.

The strained look on the Kazahaya's face turned into an genuine, if rueful, smile. "So I heard. Comparing how much your jobs suck?"

"YES!" Both Mai and Watanuki exclaimed.

"Well, trust me, my side job has GOT to be worse than either of yours! I'm sent out on these ridiculous 'missions,' never having any idea what I'm doing!" While Kazahaya's flailing didn't have the frenetic energy of Watanuki's, the pout on his face made it even cuter. Mai flinched as she realized that the boy was actually prettier than her.

"My boss sent me out to wander a haunted school BY MYSELF!" She was determined to win this.

"My boss made me dress up like a GIRL!" So, it seemed, was Kazahaya.

"My boss STRIPS when she gets really drunk!" It looked like they were all pretty determined.

"He sent me to an all-boys school, and THEY ALL THOUGHT I WAS GAY!"

"My boss is TRYING TO TURN ME GAY!"

"WITH MY ANNOYING-SMUG-IDIOT OF A CO-WORKER!"

"SHE'S SUCCEEDING!"

There was a moment of silence as the other two contemplated Watanuki's admission. The poor boy looked terribly embarrassed, even his flailing had stopped as he grabbed his traitorous mouth.

Hesitantly, Kazahaya offered an admission of his own. "Well, I think I might be gay, too…

"Um…I think I'm in love with my jerk-of-a-boss." The boys turned horror-struck faces towards the glum looking girl. It was one thing to have your boss hint that you were in love with your co-worker or friend; it was a completely different to actually be in love _with your boss_! Both boys shuddered at the thought of their own bosses.

Again, it was Kazahaya who broke the silence, "Why don't you quit?"

"No family." Again, the two spoke in unison. They blinked at each other for a moment before smiling. Kazahaya grinned, as well.

"Me neither." The three stared at one another, realizing just how alike they were. It was funny that they should meet like this; it was almost like…

"Hitsuzen." At Mai and Kazahaya's blank looks, Watanuki explained, "Fate, destiny, kismet…"

"Yep, yep…" Mai nodded, then paused to consider. "You guys know how to use a computer?"

"Only the basics," Kazahaya admitted. Watanuki nodded. "We have them in school."

Mai smiled, pulling out a pen and notepad. "Have you ever heard of online clubs and forums…?"

* * *

Later that week, Doumeki was getting curious about what Watanuki was doing on the computer for the entire lunch break, so, of course, he quietly crept up behind the smaller boy. And, of course, Watanuki noticed and immediately began yelling and flailing, trying to block Doumeki's view of the screen, all the other boy could pick out was the title of the page: PART-TIME WORKERS UNITED. 


	3. Stretching

Floated in my head for days, but I just couldn't start it. My friend helped.

I guess there might be slight LinxMai, though not really. I'm pretty sure that anyone would react the same way, as evidenced by my ending. Yay semi-crack.

Oh, and of course, thanks for reading!

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* * *

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STRETCHES

_One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight._ Breathing with every other number, Mai Taniyama finished stretching her left side and slowly bent forward. She'd realized early on that her part-time job—as secretary of Shibuya Psychic Research—was more boring than anything, especially on weekday afternoons. So, to keep herself entertained—as well as to avoid pulling muscles on the days when her job became strange and strangely busy—she'd begun taking a half-hour 'stretch' break.

It wasn't like she was putting off any vital work, after all. Though there were long days filled with excitement and danger, more often her days were filled with making tea, filing, and cleaning the floors. What made it worse was that there were two other people in the office, but she never saw them except to give them tea! It was incredibly frustrating for the energetic girl.

_One, two, three_—click. Mai's eyes widened as she continued to stare at her knees. _Was that…?_

Slowly, she straightened, pulling her skirt down to cover her bottom. It's purpose, which it hadn't been doing. Which meant that whoever was behind her had seen her teddy-bear print underwear.

Taking a deep breath, and holding it, Mai turned around. Lin stood in the doorway, face beet-red and eyes darting desperately around the otherwise empty room. The girl cleared her throat and tried to keep the blush from her face.

"Lin-san, would you like some tea?"

The man shook his head quickly, as if eager to leave, though he made no movement towards any of the doors. He seemed stunned. Mai couldn't help but wonder what he'd been like in high school, if this was how he was reacting—to something she considered only mildly embarrassing—in his mid-to-late twenties.

Still, the girl was embarrassed, so, she started babbling.

"Um, well, you know how boring it can get out here by myself, so I sometimes" _every day_ "do stretches. It helps. So, um, that's all I was doing. My stretches. Um…Are you going to tell Naru?"

She could hardly imagine what she would do if her boss Naru began teasing her about this specific incident. He already thought that she was an idiot, but to be known as an indecent idiot would be more than she could bear from that narcissist.

Again Lin shook his head, his dark hair flapping across his face almost madly. His face was still beet-red as he turned and walked back into his inner-office. He closed the door tightly, and Mai could almost swear that she heard a lock click.

Sighing, the girl wondered if she should continue her stretches. After a brief consideration of the likeliness of someone else walking in—or of Lin leaving his office again for the rest of the day, no, week—she decided that it was safe to finish up. So, standing straight, with her legs spread and her arms stretched above her head, she began to lean backward.

_One, two_—click. Drat. This was getting ridiculous. No one had visited her—at this time—in months; it was why she'd chosen to do her stretches now. Apparently, though, she was becoming popular.

Again she straightened, and again she was met with a beet-red face. She sighed. Again.

"Do not say a word, Monk-san. Not a single word."

_Why couldn't it have been Ayako or Masako? Or even John! He would never think anything weird!_ Mai wondered briefly if she was overestimating—or perhaps underestimating—her foreign friend, before dismissing the thought. John was the epitome of innocence. He would have asked her what she was doing, they would have discussed stretching and relieving boredom, and that would be the end of it.

But no, it had to be Monk-san, who already teased her about marrying him. True, he generally treated her more like a little sister than someone to flirt with, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't tease her mercilessly. The only one who teased her as badly was Naru, and that was completely different.

The girl sighed again and decided that maybe it really was a better idea to wear pants to work.


	4. Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day People! This is not what you might expect; heck, it's not quite what I expected...Oh, well, the basic idea is the same. I wanted to embarrass Monk-san some more, though. He's too easy-going...

_

* * *

_

_Kill me NOW!_

Mai Taniyama was not having a good Valentine's Day. First, she'd spent the entire school day being teased by her friends about her crush on her boss; then, when she got to work, she discovered that she'd forgotten the chocolates she'd made for Naru, her boss, and Lin, her coworker. Neither man had said anything, of course. She wasn't even sure that they knew what day it was. Well, not until Masako came in, just as Mai was leaving, with a cute little hand-made chocolate for Naru, anyway.

Mai hadn't stayed to watch; the day had been bad enough. Of course, somehow, that evening it had managed to get even worse. Just her luck.

At first, her friends had insisted that she had to go out with them to get her mind off of her bad day. It was only when she'd agreed that they told her that they were going clubbing. Mai knew what that meant. She'd have to watch over her admittedly-flighty friends, to make sure they didn't do anything too stupid, such as getting drunk, flirting with weirdoes, or any other number of things she'd had to prevent in the past. There'd even been a few times she'd had to pretend to be someone's girlfriend in order to scare off a persistent swain. All in all, it sucked having such girly friends, even if they were sweet and loyal.

So, here she was, eleven at night, watching her friends dance crazily as she leaned against the wall by the stage, keeping an eye on the very-underage group of girls.

With one last guitar solo, the band, which Mai had to admit to enjoying, announced a break while the next band set up. Mai figured they'd all head backstage, so she was surprised as the gaudily dressed men put down their instruments and hopped down right next to her.

Mai shifted uncomfortably. She really didn't like the club scene; she only ever went to keep an eye on her friends. For some odd reason, large crowds of horny guys and squealing girls made her a bit nervous. She grunted as someone bumped into her, trying to get closer to the band. Really, this was almost too much.

"Hey! You alright?" Suddenly, someone was holding her elbow, for what purpose the girl didn't know. Had she looked like she was going to faint? She hoped not; it was her job to look imposing and older-sister-ish for the girls. She looked up into the face of one of the band members.

He blinked. She blinked back at him.

"Mai-chan?!"

"Monk-san?"

"What are you doing here? Aren't you too young to be in this sort of place?" Monk-san's eyes were as wide as she'd ever seen them. He looked even more freaked out than when they saw ghosts. Of course, to them, ghosts were practically an everyday occurrence, and Mai clubbing…well, it wasn't.

Mai gestured to the dance floor and her friends, who were surrounding the band's drummer and giggling. "Someone has to baby-sit. I didn't know you'd be here, Monk-san. Your band is good!" She smiled wryly, "it's the only thing making today decent, actually."

As awkward as it felt, seeing cute little Mai-chan in this setting, and as much as he felt like killing anyone who even looked at the girl he loved like a sister, Houshou Takigawa couldn't help but be happy to see his young friend.

He patted her head before pulling her into a hug. "Aw, has Mai-chan had a bad day? Tell you what, I'm done for the night, and the guys can clean up. Why don't we go grab something to eat?"

Mai raised her eyebrow. "Don't you have a date or something? Anyway, I have to take care of them." She gestured again to the group on the dance floor.

Monk-san grinned mischievously. "I have a plan for that."

"Yo, Takeo!" The band's drummer, the one Mai's friends seemed so enamored with, looked up. When he finally spotted Houshou and Mai, he excused himself and made his way over to them.

Houshou leaned into the slightly shorter man, trying to keep their conversation private. While he did that, Mai realized that there was a whole group of girls--and a few guys--glaring at her from only a few feet away. She supposed these were what one would call 'fan girls.' It was all she could do not to stick her tongue out at them.

After a moment, Takeo gave Houshou a peace-sign and went back to Mai's friends. The girl crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow again. "What was that about?"

"Takeo has three younger sisters. There's no one your friends could be safer with." Monk-san grinned again. "So, my Valentine, shall we go?"

Mai looked at her friends again, wondering whether she could trust some stranger to watch over them. Then, she dismissed the thought; Monk-san had vouched for him, that should be enough. The image of Naru accusing her of being untrusting flashed through her head

"Okay, Monk-san." Mai smiled; no matter how badly she felt, Monk-san made her feel better, just like a big brother. "Let's go."

As they walked out, some devil made Mai turn around. The gaggle of fans was still glaring and muttering. Mai's smile widened as she called out, "Happy Valentine's Day!"


	5. The Burp

Have you seen the movie THE GRUDGE? Yeah, this kept me wondering...

Obviously, I don't own any rights to either series/movies/etc. I'm sure that's a huge shock for you.

* * *

Mai stared, horrified, at the half-naked boy in front of her. He looked as real as any normal child, but it was still obvious that he wasn't anything that anyone could call normal. His eyes and hair were pitch black, contrasting unnaturally with his white skin. The boy stood up from his crouch, slowly walking towards the frightened girl. His mouth opened, revealing not a tongue and teeth, but a black hole.

"Buuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhh."

"Mai!"

The girl blinked, awakening from the almost hypnotic fear. She glanced at the door; Lin-san was as regular as clockwork in his rescues. The girl sighed and relaxed as the older man began chanting, forcing the spirit away.

"Mai, are you alright?" Houshou ran into the room and over to his young friend. Briefly, he wondered why spirits seemed so interested in her but quickly dismissed the thought. Others in the group had been attacked…just not quite as often.

"Y-yeah." Mai's voice barely shook. By this time, she was almost used to confronting evil spirits. At least her job wasn't boring, and, hey, she always had handsome men coming to her rescue. There could be worse things.

She glanced at Lin and then at the spot where the ghost had been. Houshou could almost see her mind working busily.

"Did he…?"

"Mai-san?" Lin took an electric thermometer from his pocket, already back to business. Houshou snorted at how used to Mai getting attacked they were.

When the girl was quiet for a moment longer, both men looked at her. She looked, not scared, but baffled.

"Did he just burp at me?"


	6. Scars

The last episodes totally rocked! ;-; I want a second season...or at least a movie!

This is supposed to be a one-shot, but I find myself liking Watanabe-san...So, it might become longer...?

* * *

Scars

* * *

Without glancing at either his assistant, Mai, or the rather large man overwhelming the small couch, Kazuya Shibuya strode into his office. His door closed firmly as the girl turned red and looked like she was about to explode.

"I'm sorry for this, Watanabe-san. He should be out in a few minutes." Mai smiled weakly. What was Naru thinking, ignoring a potential customer like that?! Okay, so this man didn't look as…genteel as many of their customers had been. That didn't mean that his problem wasn't real!

"It's alright. The president of a company must have a lot of work to do." Contrary to his rather brutish appearance, Watanabe Shiro had a warm, comforting voice. Mai was surprised that it hadn't hardened or become rough over the years Watanabe-san had worked as a foreman on a construction crew.

"Would you like some tea while we wait?" Mai smiled. She hadn't asked Watanabe-san for many details about his case, since she knew that Naru would do it either way, but the girl found herself hoping that they could help the older man.

He nodded, a bit shy, and Mai got up to make the tea as quickly as she could, talking cheerfully the entire time.

"Don't worry about Naru; he's always like that. I've worked here for over two years now, and I could count on one hand the number of times I've seen him be sincerely polite. It's just not something he concerns himself with."

Watanabe-san smiled, a big, friendly smile. "I work on construction, little missy, so don't be concerned about being too polite to me. Most of the guys are pretty decent, but there are one or two I wouldn't even allow in my house."

"Naru'd probably find something to complain about in a five-star hotel! Wait, that's not true; he wouldn't even notice what was around him. The maids would clean the entire room, and he'd only pay attention to them if they waved a hand in front of his computer screen." Mai laughed, imagining the scene.

She finished preparing the tea and set it on the table in front of Watanabe-san. As he reached for it, the girl noticed a large scar just below his elbow. She couldn't help but stare, wondering what had made such an oddly shaped wound. Watanabe-san noticed her looking and grinned sheepishly.

"I show this to anyone new, and tell 'em that if they ever forget any of the safety regulations, this is what'll happen to 'em."

Mai's eyes widened as she examined the scar more closely.

"What was it?"

"Power tool, not one you'd know. I thought that I had it unplugged, but the blasted thing turned on by itself when I bumped it. Now, I double-check everything."

Mai nodded.

"I actually got this job because I knocked pretty much everything in an entire room into Naru's other assistant, Lin. He was injured, and Naru needed help, so…"

Watanabe-san raised his eyebrow. "An entire room? Wow, girl, you beat me for clumsiness. Were you hurt at all?"

"Not that time…but…" Mai's eyes widened again as a realization came to her. She practically growled as she rolled up her already short sleeves and glared at her arms.

Watanabe-san whistled, impressed at the sheer number of scars lining the girls arms. He glanced down as she straightened her knees, showing off legs that had fewer but bigger scars than her arms.

"I never thought about it." Watanabe-san's eyes returned to the girl's face. Now she looked like she was about to cry.

"I mean, I would notice them one at a time, but I never realized just how many I have…!" Mai was horrified. She'd known, in her head, that she'd been injured a lot since coming to work for SPR, but it hadn't occurred to her that she'd have physical reminders of events that Naru would claim were the result of her own stupidity.

At her words, Watanabe-san returned to his perusal of the girl's scars. There was at least one for every year she'd been born, and though they weren't obvious, it was still a disturbing sight, those scars on such a friendly girl.

"How'd you get that one?" He pointed to one on her leg that looked worse than the others, instead of a cut, it looked like a tear, roughly about the size of her fist.

Mai stared down at her leg for a moment, trying to remember that particular one.

"I think that that one is from when a possessed kid tried to eat me. See, we thought that it was the mother who was possessed, but when John--our co-worker--started exorcising it, the kid, who'd been standing behind me, suddenly attacked."

Watanabe-san raised his eyebrows again. He'd had no idea things like that really happened. Of course, there was his own ghost problem, but that was nothing compared to the story the girl had just told.

"And that one?" A small, cross-shaped scar near her wrist.

Mai smiled weakly. "A demon."

This time, it was Watanabe-san's eyes that widened. It made him look funny, and Mai had to hold in the sudden urge to laugh.

"That's what Ayako, our Miko, called it. John had given me a cross bracelet for my birthday, and when the demon tried to grab me, it started burning. Actually, that was even scarier than the demon!"

Watanabe grinned before reaching up and pointing to a scar right at his hair-line. "I swung the hammer back at the wrong angle."

Long, thin lines on the back of her left hand. "A hysterical cat. It was so freaked out by the ghosts that it just started attacking me."

"Why you? Why not one of the others you've mentioned?"

A dark scowl suddenly appeared on the girl's face. "Naru told me to get it out of the room. But when I grabbed it…" She shrugged.

"I've been knocked out or passed out more times than I can remember. I've had the ceiling collapse on me more than once; I've been dragged down holes--and I mean DRAGGED--and have had the floor collapse beneath me at least once."

Watanabe-san stared. "How are you still alive?"

Again, the girl shrugged. "Someone always rescues me. Always." This thought seemed to cheer her up somewhat.

"Don't you have nightmares? I would."

Shrug. "Unless I'm getting info on the current case, nope. I never have nightmares about cases we've solved."

"You have other nightmares?"

"…Doesn't everyone?" She suddenly grinned again. "We all have our scars to bear, after all."


	7. Scars and Wounds

Um, it started off as Naru's pov of the last chapter...and then...I don't know what happened.

* * *

"We all have our scars to bear, after all." Mai's voice drifted clearly through the door, just as clearly as it had for the past few minutes. And, as he had for the past few minutes, Naru stared at the spot where he imagined his part-time worker was sitting and grit his teeth.

What was she doing, giving all that information to a perfect stranger? True, the man was a client, but still, she shouldn't be so…so…Naru's mind trailed off there, trying to figure out why Mai sharing personal information with a client bothered him so much.

Then again, perhaps it wasn't the sharing that bothered him, but the information shared. She made it sound like they let her get hurt on purpose! Well, no, actually, she hadn't. She'd said that someone always saved her. She'd even sounded rather flippant about having so many scars, by the end. Wasn't she bothered?

Naru shook his head, trying to discover what exactly it was about the conversation taking place outside his office that bothered him so much. He knew that Mai had scars on her arms and legs, so did he, and so did Lin. It was a part of their job, and it wasn't like they could ever avoid it.

Besides, if it bothered her that much, she should just quit and take a job someplace safer.

_Someone always rescues me. Always._

Naru shook his head again, clearing it for good this time, before opening the door to the outer office.

"Mai. Tea." His voice was curt, as usual, as he made his usual demand.

Mai jumped up, red-faced and flustered as only Naru could make her. "Y-yes!"

Watanabe-san watched, amused, as the girl rushed around, getting another cup of tea ready. His eyes were drawn to the handsome young man seating himself in one of the chairs. The older man's eyebrow shot up again as he noticed the studious way that Naru was _not_ watching Mai.

"Watanabe-san, I am Kazuya Shibuya. What is the nature of your problem?" Naru cut right to the chase, further amusing his prospective client.

Mai brought Naru his tea and sat back down as Watanabe-san explained his problem. It seemed that many of his workers thought that their current construction site was cursed. They'd had three accidents in the past month, none of which were through the fault of the workers.

First, there was the tree falling on the CAT, then the port-o-potty was attacked by a family of rabid raccoons--Mai winced at this point, feeling bad for the man trapped inside while the animal control people came. It had culminated in strange winds circulating throughout the unfinished building. Which should have been impossible, since there were no walls.

By the end of his explanation, Watanabe-san was fiddling agitatedly with a medal he wore around his neck. St. Joseph, Mai noticed. Well, she thought, that made sense. Naru didn't seem to notice the older man's agitation.

"You've felt these winds, as well, Watanabe-san?"

The man hesitated before answering. Naru guessed that he wasn't someone who easily accepted the existence of ghosts.

"Yeah, I felt it. It's not normal wind, either." Naru stared, waiting for the man to continue. Mai rolled her eyes at her boss's rudeness.

"It's not like a wind blowing through the building, ya understand. It's more like a whirlwind."

Naru continued making notes, paying no attention to the sympathetic look Mai was giving Watanabe-san. She knew what it was like to be faced with the existence of ghosts and psychic powers. Unlike _some_ people, she hadn't grown up with that sort of thing. She's had a _normal_ upbringing, thank-you-very-much! Right up until she started raising herself, anyway.

"Alright, I'll take the case. We'll start setting up tomorrow. We'll need a room for our base, and electricity. Is that possible?" Mai winked at Watanabe-san, enjoying the relief on the older man's face.

Naru glanced up from his notes, noting his employee's victorious look with exasperation. Why did she always act so shocked when he took a case? Just because he didn't take every on every client that walked though the door, she acted like he--Naru cut off his frustrated thoughts right there. For whatever reason, Mai was irritating him today, and he did not really want to be around her until he figured out why.

All of them stood up, and, with a bow, Watanabe-san left, a bit more cheerfully than he'd entered. Mai went to make Naru more tea, and said boy shut himself back in his office.

When Mai entered with his tea, she found him staring distractedly at his open book.

"Naru?"

He blinked, then looked up. "What?" Somehow, when he said it, the word didn't sound like a question but like an accusation.

Mai scowled. "Never mind." She turned around, valiantly ignoring the small scoff she couldn't help but hear.

Naru turned his eyes back to his book, or, more specifically, the picture tucked into its pages. Two boys stared back at him, looking more serious than the setting--a park--should have warranted.

"We all have our scars, huh."

Mai, just about to open the door, blinked. Had Naru actually spoken, or was she imagining things? She glanced over her shoulder to find Naru's steady eyes on hers.

"They're not always bad things, Naru." The boy gave his patented 'oh really?' look. Mai sighed before returning to the desk and placing the tray on it. She held out her hand, showing him a scar across the top of her thumb.

"My mother loved to cook, and every weekend we would make a giant meal and eat every bite of it. The first time she let me cut the vegetables, I sliced right across my thumb. I tried so hard not to cry, but she could tell I was worried that she wouldn't let me help again." Mai smiled at the memory.

"She put a band-aid on it, washed the knife, and said 'now you know what not to do.' I was so proud that she didn't think I was a baby, that she trusted me enough to let me try again."

Naru nodded silently. There wasn't really anything that he could say to that; he never really knew what to say when Mai brought up her family or her situation. It was something that he didn't like talking about, so asking her questions would have seemed hypocritical.

"Scars, inside and out, Naru, are wounds that have healed. They're mistakes you've learned from." Mai wasn't sure if she was trying to comfort her boss, or trying to explain herself. She knew that Naru heard what went on in the outer office, but until today, it hadn't occurred to her that he might actually listen. Perhaps he listened more than she thought.

"Call Bou-san and Ayako. We'll be leaving at 6am. Tell them that they'd better not be late."

_And there goes any meaningful conversation_, Mai thought wryly. She nodded and headed back towards the door.

Naru waited until she'd left to sigh and look back at the picture. His fingers trailed over it, almost wistfully, before forming a fist. His eyes wandered onto his fist, noting the small scars scattered over his knuckles. Perhaps she was right. Perhaps wounds really did heal eventually. But for now, his were still tender. Somehow, though, he could feel them starting to heal, day by day. Soon, there would be nothing but scars and memories, and, perhaps Mai had something to do with that.

The boy sighed again and sipped his tea.


	8. PTWU2

Again, crack. And it's not very good crack at that...I'll probably add the dinner in later, but all of these can be read as stand-alones. Really. Anyway, the next chapter should be more amusing: LinxYasuhara. Mwahaha! Yay crack!

* * *

PTWU-2

* * *

Mai Taniyama and the other members of Shibuya Psychic Research--Ayako, Monk-san, Yasuhara, John, Lin-san, and her boss Naru--were just starting to pull the equipment from the van when she noticed a familiar face across the street. So, of course, to her boss's displeasure, she stopped unloading and called out to her friend.

"Kimihiro-kun!" The boy, lanky and pale with pitch black hair, stopped in the middle of what looked like a one-sided argument with an even taller, and certainly more masculine-looking, boy. The not-so-masculine boy, Kimihiro Watanuki, beamed when he saw the girl waving at him from across the street, and, now ignoring the other boy, rushed over to Mai.

"Mai-chan! What are you doing here?" Watanuki was really happy to see his friend, and even happier to have an excuse to ignore his so-totally-_not_-a-friend Shizukak Doumeki, who insisted on walking him home, no matter how many times he protested.

"I did mention that I'd be on a case in the area, silly! Well," she gestured to the house behind her, ignoring her staring co-workers and glaring boss, "it's right here!"

"I didn't realize that you meant right in the neighborhood; according to MY boss, 'in the area' could mean almost anything."

By this point Doumeki was standing just behind Watanuki's shoulder, staring at the teenaged girl as if she were about to grow fangs and attack the other boy. A quick glance at the other people in her group had assured him that whatever they were, they weren't normal. However, whether they were Watanuki's kind of abnormal or Watanuki's boss Yuuko's kind of abnormal remained to be seen.

Naru, president of SPR and thus Mai's boss, was looking at the two boys with more irritation than suspicion. Mai got distracted so easily with just their regular group around, who were these interlopers who distracted her before they even got started on the case? He growled under his breath, causing the larger boy to switch his suspicious gaze onto him.

Unlike Naru, Monk-san was perfectly willing to admit to suspicion. It wasn't that he thought that these boys were dangerous, but he knew for sure that they were not normal, either. There was a definite aura of…strangeness around the loud one. He couldn't explain it any better than that. Plus, how on earth did this boy know Mai? She hadn't mentioned any friends in the area, and considering the distance from her home, it didn't seem likely that they went to the same school.

"Hello. What's your name?" All eyes turned to Ayako as she fairly _purred_ at the larger of the boys. He, in turn, raised an eyebrow, casual as could be.

"Shizuka Doumeki."

Monk-san felt his eyes widening. "You wouldn't happen to be related to Haruka Doumeki, would you?"

A nod. "My grandfather."

"How did you know that name? Did you know Haruka-san?" Watanuki abruptly broke off his dialogue with Mai to turn fierce eyes on Monk-san. The older man held up his hands, as if to ward Watanuki off.

"Woah, kid, I didn't mean anything by it! No, I've just heard stories about him." He arched his eyebrow at the still-glaring Naru. "He was known for his exorcisms. Even on Mt. Kyouya."

Doumeki suddenly looked interested. "You're from Mt. Kyouya?"

At this point, Ayako had decided that she'd had enough of being ignored. So, the only thing left to do was tease Monk-san.

"Ooh, another of your crushes, Monk-san?"

"What's THAT supposed to mean?!"

"Nothing, nothing." The Miko grinned. "It's just that you're always so…_eager_ when you talk about certain psychics…"

"Why do you have such a _dirty_ mind?! Next you'll be saying that Yasuhara and I are secretly dating!"

Said boy, who'd been pretending to ignore the conversation, blinked before assuming a wounded expression.

"Monk-san! How could you deny our love like that? Didn't that night mean anything to you?!" At this, the monk's face turned even redder as Ayako, Mai, and Watanuki cracked up. Mai wondered if her friend actually thought it was funny, or if he was just relieved not to be the object of the teasing.

Doumeki, for his part, was paying less attention to the conversation than he was to the fact that Watanuki was smiling at a girl who was _not_ Himawari-chan, or even a lonely ghost. There had to be something odd about this girl, he decided.

"Hey, kid, stop glaring at Mai-chan like a jealous boyfriend." Monk-san, still red, retuned the glare that was now directed at him. For some reason, this made Mai laugh even harder; by now, she was clutching Watanuki's sleeve for balance. He, on the other hand, was not amused.

"He's _not_ my boyfriend! Agh! Why do people always say that?! And you!" He rounded on the taller boy, "you could say _something_, you know! Deny it! What is wrong with you?!"

The larger boy simply shrugged and rolled his eyes.

Calming abruptly, Watanuki turned to Mai and waited until she'd gained control of her laughter.

"You're coming over for dinner tonight. What do you want me to make?"

"Kimihiro-kun, I am here to work, you remember." Naru was about to make a snaky comment about how much work she _wasn't_ getting done right now, but the other boy spoke first.

"What, you don't get time off to eat? Geez, and I thought Yuuko was harsh!"

"Of course I get time off to eat, but we usually discuss the case then…" Mai turned hopeful eyes on her boss, already knowing that it would do no good.

"You never ask me what I want to eat." As nonchalant as the tone might have been, the very fact that Doumeki actually added something to a conversation let Watanuki know that the other boy was, for want of a better word, _interested_ in Watanuki's connection with Mai.

Before Watanuki could open his mouth, though, Naru answered Mai's unspoken question.

"Do whatever you want. But I would like to get some work done before dinner time, if you don't mind." The last comment was directed at the entire group. Only Watanuki was embarrassed, the SPR workers were too used to their boss's moods, and Doumeki was still waiting for an answer to his earlier accusation.

Monk-san took advantage of the pause Naru's cold words gave Mai and Watanuki and draped his arms over the girl's shoulders, planting his chin on her head.

"Aww, Mai-chan doesn't want dinner with us? Doesn't Mai-chan like us anymore?" Mai rolled her eyes.

"I thought you had a date with Yasuhara tonight, Monk-san?" At this, even Doumeki and Naru smirked.

"Okay, okay, you guys don't want to give her up, even for one dinner!" Instead of being annoyed at the suspicions directed towards him, Watanuki was pleased that his friend had so many people worrying about her.

"How are you guys getting dinner? I assume that you have use of the kitchen here?"

The priest, John, nodded. "Mai and I are supposed to cook tonight."

"Then why don't I come over and cook dinner for all of you? Would you trust me not to poison you?" The girls and John had the grace to look abashed. Yasuhara smiled cheerfully, as usual, and Monk-san smirked. Free dinner _and_ he got to keep an eye on Mai's little _date._

"Sounds good."

"Oi."

Monk-san was surprised by how quickly the boy could turn red. One little word, and suddenly he could practically see the steam coming off of the younger man.

"My name is _not_ 'oi!' It's Watanuki! Watanuki! When will you get that into your _thick_ head?!"

The other boy just stared, waiting for him to finish.

"Ugh! Never mind, come on. We have to go to the market first, and then we'll stop by my apartment…"

Already his mind was whirring with the things he needed. Watanuki didn't seem to notice the satisfied look on _his non_-friend's face, or the smile on Mai's. Waving a quick good-bye to Mai and the rest, the boys hurried off; Watanuki adding that they'd be back by five for Watanuki to begin cooking.

Ayako blinked. "I take it that Doumeki-san will be joining us for dinner as well."

"Yeah, well…Those two are closer than they seem. I don't think Doumeki-kun likes the idea of Kimihiro-kun eating with strangers anymore than you guys did." Mai grinned.

"Where did you meet him?"

"Oh, he, another friend, and I have a little online club. We've only met in person a few times, but we've been talking online for a couple of months. He's a great cook; I wonder what he's making for us tonight?"

They all noticed the subject change, but no one mentioned it as they went back to carrying equipment into the house. Instead, they discussed what foods they liked before eventually returning to the subject of the house they were currently investigating.

"So, Mai-chan…" Within a couple of hours of finishing set-up Monk-san decided that he was bored. So, that meant that it was time for his favorite sport: teasing Mai.

"What do you guys talk about in this little club of yours?"

"Hm? Work, recipes, the usual sort of thing." Even though the answer sounded nonchalant, everyone could tell that there was more to it than that.

"Really? So what do you say about work?"

Mai smiled cheerfully, but it was obvious that she was beginning to lose patience. She didn't mind being teased, but she wasn't about to tell all of her secrets!

"Oh, we talk about how much we _love_ our co-workers, especially when they ask nosy questions. And we discuss how to make the tea just _perfect_ for our bosses."

"Now, now, don't be like that! I just want to be sure that he's good enough for our little Mai-chan! He could be some creepy guy who wants to get you alone and--" Mai nodded gratefully to Ayako, whose elbow was currently digging into Monk-san's gut.

"You're worried that I hang around with creepy people?" Lin glanced up from his seat at the computer, smirking. He knew what was coming.

Mai took a deep breath, whether to steady herself or to get ready for her tangent, Lin wasn't sure.

"Monk-san! We are _ghost-hunters!_ You were the one who first taught me how to expel ghosts! You send me to bed so that I'll have dreams about dead people! All of us have seen weird things; Naru can blow things up, Masako gets possessed, Tree-spirits tell Ayako when people are going to die! Lin-san has little demons for pets!"

Lin didn't feel like it was the best time to correct the part-time worker. After all, she only called them that to prove her point; she knew that they were shikigami. Probably.

"John-san is an exorcist, and Yasuhara _never stops smiling!"_

Lin glanced around at the others, noting that, like him, Naru was smirking, though the younger man tried to hide it by acting busy with the cables. Everyone else looked rather sheepish, and Yasuhara positively beamed at the thought that he was a part of the group.

"Monk-san, we _are_ the creepy people!"

Oh, dinner was going to be so much fun.


	9. Computer Games

YAOI ALERT! It's a crack pairing, but darn if I don't like it now. Dedicated to The Jenx, cuz she thought the idea was fun.

* * *

Computer Games

* * *

Lin blamed the entire thing on Takigawa. Really, none of this would have happened if it weren't for the bass-playing monk. It was all his fault.

Considering the outcome, though, perhaps he owed the other man thanks.

It had begun on a normal day, as things often do. The entire SPR group had been packing up after finishing an irritatingly easy case. Takigawa, bored and looking for a new victim for his teasing had decided that the Chinese man needed to 'lighten up.' So, he'd decided to 'help.'

"Say, Lin-san, Yasuhara's getting pretty good at research, huh?"

Lin, mildly surprised at being addressed, simply nodded.

"Why, he might even be better at it than you!" The monk grinned, a wicked gleam in his eye.

Yasuhara had laughed, saying that it would be a while before he was able to equal the skill of the older man. Lin, unsure about how someone would compare research skills, had remained silent.

"In fact…I have an idea!" Takigawa's smile was bright and--Lin thought--evil.

"Why don't we see who's better? A competition!"

Ayako had rolled her eyes, Naru had ignored them all, and Lin had blinked, but everyone else looked irritatingly intrigued.

"How would it work? Like a scavenger hunt?" Yasuhara, easy-going as he was, seemed startling interested in the idea. Or perhaps that was just Lin's imagination, because he'd never realized before that he could tell when the perpetually smiling younger man was interested.

"Yeah! But to make things fun, how about something a little simpler?"

"What do you mean?" Oh, if only John hadn't asked that question, then perhaps the whole thing would have died off and Lin wouldn't be in the situation he was in presently.

The idea would be, Takigawa had explained, that Lin and Yasuhara would have one day to find the craziest, most startling single website they could. Naru--who had yet to say a word about this endeavor--John, and Mai would judge. They'd decided against waiting--they being Takigawa--and declared that the competition would take begin the next morning.

So, this morning Lin had woken up, prepared himself for work, and come to the office only to find everyone else there already. Waiting for him. Like fangirls.

They'd shoved him and Yasuhara in his office, the latter carrying his own laptop, and promised to let them out at the end of the day. He'd heard the sound of something heavy being shoved in front of the door. That was over four hours ago.

Since then, Lin had wandered through the world-wide-web, still unsure as to why he was even bothering to participate in this ridiculous game. Occasionally he'd glance up, more often than not finding the younger man staring at him with that creepy smile on his face. The Chinese man hadn't found the smile to be the least bit creepy, until he was force to deal with it being aimed at him for hours on end.

Suddenly, the college student stood up, causing Lin's eyes to fasten on him. Instead of saying anything, Yasuhara stood even straighter, before twisting around and reaching his arms up above his head. Lin watched in fascination as the younger man stretched, making low, humming moans the entire time.

Watching him made Lin realize how tense his own muscles were, so he rolled his shoulders a bit to try to loosen them up. His eyes closed as he concentrated on the sensations, so he was more than a little startled when he suddenly felt cool hands begin massaging the nape of his neck.

"Yasuhara-san?" His eyes popped open, but he barely saw the screen in front of him, so focused was he on the presence standing at his back.

"I don't know how you do it, Lin-san. I like doing research, I really do, but to do this all day, every day." Funny, it didn't sound like his voice was coming from above Lin's head. In fact, though his tone was light, it was also soft enough to almost be a whisper.

"Unless we're working on a case, I do take breaks. I'm not sure they even plan to let us out to use the bathroom." Lin vaguely wondered why his own voice was so low. It was like he was unconsciously matching Yasuhara's.

A soft laugh, breath rushing past his ear.

"It's a good thing Mai isn't making us all those cups of tea, then, isn't it?"

"Hmm." If he were being honest, Lin would have to admit that the small sound had it's origins in the hands rubbing his neck, rather than the question.

"Lin-san. Lin-san. Do you want to hear about a site I found?"

Lin found his eyes closing again as he leaned into the warmth behind his chair.

"It was really rather…naughty, Lin-san." Yasuhara's voice always had that teasing quality, Lin thought, but had he always said his name like that?

"It had pictures of…things. Things between two people, Lin-san. The pictures were…enlightening. But…"

"But…?" By this time, all thoughts had left the older man's mind. The only things he could think about were the soothing pressure on his neck and shoulders, and the words and hot breath coming out of Yasuhara's mouth.

"I just couldn't stop thinking of you, Lin-san, and what it would feel like if I were doing those things to _you_."

Lin stopped breathing.

"Wouldn't you like that?" The murmuring at his ear continued, "wouldn't you like to feel my hands on other places? My lips? My tongue? Wouldn't you like that, Lin-san? Hmm?"

And now the lips were on his ear, followed by teeth nipping gently before moving downward. Yasuhara mouthed a trail from one side of the neck to the other, and somehow Lin found himself with a lap full of smiling wickedness.

"Ah, isn't that better, Lin-san? I can reach more of you this way." Yasuhara's glasses gleamed in the reflected computer glare. Lin swallowed thickly, finally remembered to breath, and slowly smirked.

"Really, Yasuhara-san, there isn't much more to reach, what with these pesky clothes in the way."

The younger man barely had time to let out a satisfied sigh before Lin swooped down, capturing his lips in a heated kiss. Without breaking it, Lin began his work on the buttons of a shirt, not caring whose it was, only caring about having more skin to touch, to taste, as soon as possible. Yasuhara was trying to help him, but neither man was thinking coherently at the time, so more than one button ended up underneath Lin's desk, only to be found by a confused Mai later that week when she was sweeping.

Meanwhile, the other SPR workers had gotten bored with their game. Sure it had been fun to think of their friends going crazy from being trapped in a small room all day, but really, without being able to watch the fireworks--that Takigawa assured them were occurring, not knowing how right he was--it was less fun than they had expected. Plus, Mai was beginning to worry about food and drinks and bladders and the like. Takigawa called her a party pooper, but helped her move the couch out of the way when she insisted.

There were strange noises coming from the room. Takigawa thought that they might be arguing, but Ayako pointed out that it wasn't loud enough for that. Mai suggested that it might be their stomach's rumbling, causing her boss to roll his eyes. Masako realized what it was, but she was too stunned to warn the others as they burst into the room.

The sight that greeted them was something no one--except Masako--could have expected. Lin was in his chair, which was pushed back against his desk, and Yasuhara was sitting in his lap. Both of their shirts were undone, and it looked like they'd been working on the pants when they were so rudely interrupted.

Mai stared, one thought blocking all others from her mind. It was the first time she'd seen Lin's hair out of place, and it was…hot. She glanced at Naru out of the corner of her eye, wondering how he'd look with bed head.

John had turned beet-red immediately upon entering and had backed out of the room before anyone else could even register what they were seeing. Takigawa had followed suit, babbling on the way out. Ayako drooled, grinned, and winked, in that order. Masako hadn't even entered the room, since she'd realized what was going on. And Mai was still stunned, looking from the two men in front of her, to Naru, and back.

Naru's face was, unsurprisingly, blank, but since he did that automatically when he was surprised, everyone felt it was safe to assume that this situation startled him as much as anyone else. He only said one word before dragging Mai out of the office and shutting the door firmly.

"Tie."


	10. First Kiss Memories

For Kyia. I hope it's okay...I doubt that I'd have ever written Lin/Mai if you hadn't asked me to. This is YOUR fault! Hehehe...; I think I'm developing a new theme idea, though. Naru walking in on Lin while he's making out (or more) with all of the other characters. Would anyone find that as entertaining as I do?

FANfiction is made by...Uchiha! Wait, what?

* * *

"It's not fair!" Mai Taniyama slammed open the door to the office, obviously not in her usual chipper mood.

Koujou Lin looked up from his computer screen, taking in his co-worker's red face and ruffled hair. Mai was eighteen and quite pretty in a girl-next-door sort of way. Even looking disgruntled as she did, Mai still made him smile. He wasn't quite sure what it was about her, but the longer he worked with her, the more natural it felt to take breaks just to talk about silly little things they'd done that day.

"Mai, is something wrong?" Lin eyed his red-faced friend almost warily.

And really, it had to be something big to get Mai this red in the face. He hadn't seen her this upset since she'd gotten over her crush on their boss Naru. Of course, that didn't mean that she and Naru had stopped fighting all the time. Mai just didn't let herself get quite as upset anymore. Well, she hadn't until today.

Instead of going to her desk, Mai stomped in his open door and flopped down into his visitor's chair. She then leaned her head back and banged it not-so-gently against the wall. Lin smothered his smile as best he could, but it was hard when the young woman was being so…silly.

"Mai?"

There was one more _thunk_, followed by a tense silence.

"Lin, am I ugly?" Mai stared at the ceiling with her head still on the wall. Lin, blinking, almost found himself checking to see what she was staring at.

"Of course not, Mai! That's ridiculous, you know that!" It was only after he'd finished speaking that Lin realized that he'd been a little too emphatic. His eyes shot to Mai, but the woman hadn't noticed.

"Is there something else wrong with me then?" Mai didn't give Lin a chance to answer and perhaps embarrass himself. "Because I really want to know why it is that ghosts target me! Really!"

Lin blinked. What did Mai's looks have to do with ghosts? He cautiously stood and leaned against his desk, showing Mai that she had his full attention (in case she hadn't noticed that either.) The girl gave him no acknowledgement as she warmed up to her rant.

"I mean, the regular attacks I can deal with, even when I know that Naru's going to rub them in my face later. And I can deal with the fact that I'm obviously undesirable to guys. It's not like _that's_ news! But now, this--this is just too much!" Lin gulped as Mai's eyes shot to his. Her stare was fierce and almost accusing, though he still had no idea what she was talking about.

"What happened?" It was really a lucky thing that his face was naturally stoic. Lin didn't think he could have kept his emotions off his face if he'd had to think about it. Actually, most of his thought processes were working on a more immediate problem: figuring out what those emotions were. Because as upset as he was about Mai being so frazzled, he had to admit--to himself, at least--that a part of him was more than a little bit excited and happy, too.

For some strange reason, the fact that she'd chosen him, out of anyone, to go to when she was upset pleased him. And, even stranger, it was seeing her so frazzled that made Lin realize just what that funny tingling that he'd been getting when around the part-timer--as in, every day for the past few months--was. Attraction. He, the stoic Chinese man with a lingering prejudice against the Japanese, was attracted to--and genuinely liked--the perky, still-barely-teenaged, Japanese woman.

He was broken out of his dazed contemplation by the icy cold tone of the woman he'd just admitted--to himself--that he liked in a more-than-friendly way.

"Masako, while possessed, just stole my first kiss."

Lin, still not fully out of his daze, could only return his friend's stare. His mind was too busy trying to keep down the blush that struggled to rise when Mai's mouth had formed the word 'kiss.' So much for his idea that his face was naturally blank.

Now, all he had to do was figure out how to answer the young woman who currently had him trapped in her eyes. Why was she looking at him like she expected him to do something about it? It wasn't like he could go back in time and--_oh!_

Slowly, Lin let a smirk take over his face, thankful that it seemed to be back to normal. He stood, looming over the tiny part-timer. She, however, didn't look worried as Lin bent slightly to pull her gently up by her hands.

"I imagine it must have been awful, having your first kiss stolen." Lin pulled and pushed her until she was leaning up against his desk. He briefly let go of her hands, only to place lift her so that she was perched on the edge of his desk. Luckily, he kept it much clearer than Naru's and Mai's desks.

"Did you have someone you wanted to give it to?" Still speaking casually, the older man placed his hands on either side of her thighs, moving in closer as he did so. Now she had to spread her legs a bit in order for the Chinese man to stay that close.

"M-maybe." Mai stared into his eyes.

"Hm, just maybe? Well, either way, we can't let your memory of your first kiss be something like that, can we?" Mai's answer was a small, indecipherable sound, as she watched, brown eyes glazed, his face getting closer and closer. He hesitated, warm lips hovering right above her mouth, and Mai made the sound again.

Finally, his mouth brushed hers, and the tingle that Lin had been feeling suddenly burst into what felt like a fireworks display, a cliché he'd never been able to understand until now. But still, he held on tightly to his control, and brushed his lips against hers once more. Mai's eyes drifted shut as he continued his soft kisses, each one lasting one second longer, and longer and…

This time, when his mouth met hers, it was a firm pressure. Still soft, but definitely a full-on kiss. Mai's hands, which had been at her side, seemed to have minds of their own, as she found them to be suddenly gripping his neat white shirt. Lin was practically on top of her by now, one knee on the chair she'd abandoned, with his hands braced against the desk by her head.

Tilting his head, Lin licked his--and thus, Mai's--lips. She'd openly admitted to having never been kissed before today, so he was a bit surprised when she opened her mouth immediately. Still, he took the invitation, probing into her mouth with his tongue.

Tea, of course she'd taste like tea. How many cups did they drink a day? Lin's mind, used to being in control, did its very best to interrupt the cheerful takeover of his body. However, he found that he cared much less about the reasons Mai might taste like tea, and more about the taste itself.

By this time, she was actively involved, doing her very best to keep from being completely dominated. She was always most stubborn when the challenge was tacit. Lin tugged on her lip with his teeth and Mai gasped, finally remembering that she was supposed to breath.

"Lin!" Her voice was thin as Lin trailed one hand down her body before slipping it under the edge of her shirt. He answered her with a low growl, as he tasted her neck, sucking hard enough to leave a small bruise.

"Un!"

He really was falling in love with the little sounds she kept making, and since his mind seemed to want to get in on the action too, he set it to work cataloguing every noise she made, and what caused her to make them. It would come in handy in the future.

Evidently, though, keeping his mind busy on that task was not the best thing he could have done. He could have, for example, assigned it to remind him that they were in his office with the door wide open, or, perhaps he could have asked it to warn him when it heard Naru coming.

As it was, his mind was otherwise occupied, and thus, Naru walked in on something he'd rather not have. The young man stared at their shocked faces for only a moment before turning around and walking right back out of Lin's office. Mai was surprised, but not as embarrassed as Lin would have expected.

That changed, however, with Naru's words once he was safely out of eyesight.

"Next time, close the door. I really don't want to see what Mai's underwear look like."


	11. Awake

Straightforward Naru/Mai.

* * *

When Mai woke up after three days of sleep, she expected someone to be in the room with her. After all, she knew that her friends would be concerned, even if they understood that it wasn't quite a natural sleep.

However, she had not expected to wake up to find her boss--Narcissistic Naru--dozing in a nearby chair. And she had definitely not expected to wake up in a room she'd never seen before. She blinked, looking around the plain room. It was neat, and nice looking, but there was no personality to it, no pictures or books, or anything that would tell her whose room it was.

Glancing at the dark-haired man from the corner of her eye, she stretched, working out the kinks she'd gained by laying unconscious for so long. It wasn't like she'd done it purposefully, even if it was intentional. Quietly she sat up, noting that she was at least still in her pajamas from a few days ago. Even if they'd moved her, they hadn't changed her clothes. That made her feel a bit better about waking up here and with him.

Mai rolled her neck; she wasn't used to such a soft bed. Still stretching--and by now, making the little humming noises that she couldn't help--her glance at her boss turned into a full-out stare. He was dressed in his usual dark colors, with his arms crossed and his chin resting on his chest. It was a position she'd caught him in numerous times, when--for whatever reason--he didn't feel like bothering to go to his room during cases.

It was strange, with his personality--bossy, arrogant, narcissistic, and sarcastic--he seemed like the type who'd be the first one awake, or at least, would be a light sleeper. But Mai had found that, while it wasn't impossible to wake him up in the mornings, it was not the easiest thing to do either. That was why she felt safe in her current perusal of him. If her stretching noises hadn't woken him, then it wasn't likely that her stare would have any effect.

He really was beautiful, she couldn't help thinking, reiterating her mental list of his best physical qualities. She would normally follow that thought with one about how sad it was that he didn't smile more, but recent events and revelations had forced that thought into submission. If he smiled more, then he simply wouldn't be Naru, and really, it wasn't the smile that she loved.

Yes, she admitted it once more, and this time she was positive who it was she loved. That was a large part of why she'd been asleep for those three days. Gene, who was sweet and just as beautiful as Naru but _wasn't_ Naru, had been helping her understand herself better, in the hope that it would help her to establish more control over her powers. The fact that he'd been able to stay 'awake' for all three days was a testament to the control she'd gained.

And, after three days with Gene, three days of learning to trust herself and her abilities, Mai could honestly say that, though she loved Gene, it was not a romantic love. Gene was sweet and caring, and he took care of her in her dreams, but he was no Naru. He didn't make her angry or depressed or tingly or happy. Gene was all about comfort, a friend to lean on, but not someone who'd push her further. It was Naru who'd-unwittingly--given her the idea to learn about and stretch her powers. It was for him that she'd slept.

Unthinking, still lethargic after such a long sleep, Mai reached out her hand to brush a stray hair from her boss's cheek. She was momentarily fascinated by the sight of her hand on his cheek, and when she finally tore her eyes away, it was only to meet his own dark blue ones, open and staring at her.

Mai smiled slightly, feeling no need to break the silence just yet. Naru continued to stare at her, his confusion and wariness growing as her hand remained on his cheek. She was acting so strangely--or so he thought, having never been around her when she woke up from pleasant dreams--that he couldn't bring himself to snap at her.

They stayed like that for a few moments; longer than they'd ever stayed in each other's company without something distracting them. It was the first time that Naru could recall feeling so…peaceful in Mai's presence. True, his body was a little tense, but his mind was calm, and the tension wasn't the usual unpleasant sort. Without thinking, his hand lifted to cover the one she still had on his cheek.

Mai smiled at the warmth, seeing that Naru, for once, wasn't over thinking things. As the last bits of sleep left her, she leaned over until she felt the warmth of his breath on her face. Naru had yet to speak, or even to lower his gaze. Except for lifting his hand to hers, he'd remained as still as a wild animal when faced with a hunter. Mai's smile widened at the absurd thought of Naru as prey.

With that, she closed the distance and brushed her mouth lightly against his. He'd known it was coming, but he gasped lightly anyway at the slight shivers going up his spine. He didn't feel cold, yet his arms were covered with goosebumps and his skin suddenly felt sensitive, like it had been brushed with an ice cube.

Mai's eyes hadn't left his the entire time he'd been digesting her actions. When she saw that he'd calmed slightly, she kissed him again, giving him no chance to think about anything except the sensations whipping through his iron control. This kiss wasn't a delicate brush of lips, but nor was it a passionate declaration. It was, Naru supposed, a First Kiss sort of kiss, chaste and sweet and soft.

This time, when she pulled away, she spoke, for the first time since she'd awoken.

"Naru." Her brown eyes continued to draw his blue gaze; he couldn't look away; he couldn't put up his defenses; he couldn't hide.

"Naru, I was never in love with Gene." Her voice was too serious, too solemn, barely more than a whisper. It sounded strange to his ears, and it almost made him able to ignore what she was saying. But her eyes wouldn't let him. Even if he were deaf, he would still understand what her eyes were telling him.

"He was a dream for me, Naru, but I'm awake now, and I prefer reality." She kissed him again, another short, chaste kiss, and Naru knew that he had to answer her somehow. But he'd never been good with words; she knew that, surely? What did she want him to do?

Naru stared into her eyes, as unable to stop himself as he was unable to think. He'd never been good with acting on instinct, and that was undoubtedly what this situation called for. That has always been Gene's way, and it was Naru's way to analyze every possibility before coming up with a proper solution. That was why he'd told Mai that it was Gene she loved, because, with her warm and caring personality, of course it was the twin who was like her that she would choose.

And now she was telling him that he'd been wrong, that she'd never been in love with his brother. Naru wished he could claim that he didn't feel relieved at the news, but a small part of him was honest enough to admit it. And he listened to those small voices, even if he later disregarded their advice. This one was telling him that not only was he relieved, but, for the first time since his brother's death, he was happy. Actually happy. Naru marveled at the thought.

With this revelation in mind, he decided that maybe it would be alright to listen to what else the little voice had to tell him. It hadn't led him astray thus far. Therefore, when it told him that Mai was still waiting for his answer, and that there was only one way to answer her at this moment--and all of the other questions and answers would come later--Naru did as it told him and kissed her.


	12. PTWU3

This one's a bit shorter than the others, because I REALLY didn't want to describe the entire dinner. It just wouldn't have been funny. So, instead, here are three short pieces. There might be more eventually, but who knows? I have a challenge that I want to do soon and more LinxEveryone fics to write...

This is dedicated to The Jenx again, because she was complaining about too much Naru and Mai in this fandom. ;b Is this a bit better? Barely any mention of either!

_

* * *

_

_Dinner_, Takigawa was forced to admit to himself, _was exceptionally good._

Of course, the great food didn't quite make up for not having his tease-able friend's full attention, but, as long as it was only for one night, he figured that he could deal with it. Hey, was it his fault he was a bit over-protective of his young, female friend?

Glancing around the room--an old, Japanese style room with a large table and plenty of cushions--he noted that everyone seemed to have relaxed more than they had the entire day. Ayako was chattering away to Doumeki and Yasuhara, while Mai and John helped Watanuki clean up. Lin and Naru had escaped to the base as soon as they'd gotten their food, the latter barely taking the time to thank Watanuki for coming over and cooking for them.

Deciding that he could get the most information on Watanuki if he helped with the clean-up, Takigawa stood and began carrying used dishes to the kitchen. Once everything was inside, he shooed John and Mai out, pointing out that it was his turn on dishes-duty anyway.

Watanuki, for his part, seemed to realize just what was going to happen in the next few minutes. He sighed and rolled his eyes, but, when Mai looked questioningly at him before leaving, nodded. He could deal with an overprotective older brother figure. Probably. Come to think of it, he'd never dealt with anything like this before.

"So, kid, are you some kind of pervert or something?"

Maybe he couldn't deal with this after all.

* * *

Ayako smiled at the stoic boy in front of her. He was handsome, though a bit young, and quieter than anyone she knew. That meant, of course, that she could completely dominate the conversation. In fact, she was so busy telling Doumeki about her life that she didn't notice that Yasuhara was listening in.

"Wow, Matsuzaki-san, you've done a lot, haven't you?" As always, Yasuhara's voice was more cheerful than it should have been, considering the circumstances.

Ayako glared at the young man, wondering what he was getting at, as Doumeki shook himself out of his 'someone-is-ranting-at-me' mode. He'd originally developed it to contend with Watanuki's long-winded accusations and complaints but had, just this afternoon, in fact, found that there were more interesting ways to deal with a loud Watanuki.

Unfortunately, he did not want to use his newly discovered means of shutting Watanuki up on Matsuzaki. For one thing, she was old; for another, well, she just wasn't Watanuki. Still thinking of that, he absent-mindedly answered Yasuhara's question.

"Well, she's lived a lot longer than we have."

While Matsuzaki sputtered and turned red, Yasuhara blinked. How did the bored looking boy know what he was going to say? After a moment's consideration, though, Yasuhara decided that the joke actually worked better with a virtual stranger saying the final line. With Ayako still protesting and complaining in the background, the young man smiled at their guest, deciding that he liked Mai's friends.

* * *

John smiled gently at the boy in front of him. "So, you study archery? That must be very calming." 

Nodding, Doumeki took a sip of his tea. The woman--Ayaka or something like that--had left in a bit of a huff after his comment on her age. He didn't understand why, since it was an obvious truth. The glasses-boy had followed shortly after, saying that he wanted to check on the clean-up crew. The archer had to admit that he was slightly worried about leaving Watanuki in the kitchen with glasses-boy and the monk. They were bound to interrogate him--just like Doumeki wanted to interrogate Mai--which would, in turn, make Watanuki even louder on the walk home.

"Yes, I've studied archery for years, and I've been meditating my entire life." This one didn't seem so bad, though, Doumeki thought. Maybe it was because he was a priest, or maybe it was just his personality, but he seemed a lot less…aggravating than the others.

The Australian sighed almost wistfully as he watched Ayako and the recently returned Takigawa arguing on the other side of the room. Mai was trying to mediate, and Naru and Lin hadn't returned from the base, even to order the others' return. He knew that Yasuhara was still interrogating the other boy in the kitchen, probably doing his best to scare the pants off of him. Yasuhara was a bit sadistic like that.

"Maybe I should take up meditation or something." Doumeki watched the priest curiously, noting the resigned exasperation in his eyes. Following his gaze, the young--well, _younger_--ghost buster let his eyes drift over the three women.

Suddenly, shouts were heard from behind them. Both John and Doumeki rolled their eyes as Watanuki's argument with Yasuhara--who was probably smiling calmly--escalated. Doumeki took another sip of his tea before answering John's previous comment.

"Trust me; there are some things all the meditation in the world can't prepare you for."

"FOR THE LAST TIME, I AM NOT _STALKING _MAI! I'M NOT EVEN INTERESTED IN GIRLS, DARNIT! DID YOU NOT NOTICE THE BIG LUG FOLLOWING ME AROUND?!"


	13. Australian

Darn it...I was planning on only working on Naruto fics this week...

* * *

John blinked in bemusement as he surveyed his friends. They were all used to dealing with spirits and violence-and obeyed Naru with no questions at those times-but it looked like this was the straw that would finally break the camel's back, so to speak.

"What's the problem? It's only a small cut." Naru glared around the base room, irritated at the hesitance the SPR members were showing.

"Still, Naru, a cut across the palm, no matter how shallow is _not_ comfortable." Takigawa leant against the wall, stretching out and wiggling his fingers, as if anticipating the pain he just _knew_ he was going to feel in a few minutes. They all knew that they'd give in, but that didn't mean that they had to make it easy for their arrogant boss.

"It's not that bad, Takigawa-san." John smiled, pretending that Mai and Takigawa weren't about to start shouting, that Ayako wasn't standing in a corner with her arms crossed, that Masako wasn't paler than usual. That Lin and Naru weren't asking them to cut themselves for some sort of ritual that would most definitely go against the Church's teachings. With a silent prayer, the young priest wondered how he always managed to get into these sorts of situations.

Lin decided that it was his turn to speak up, since he was the one who needed the blood to finish a protection spell. And he'd prefer to do it sometime today, thank-you-very-much. The Chinese man stood up from the desk, holding out his ornate ritual dagger. "If you can't bring yourself to do it, then let me. It really isn't that bad."

"It's the only surefire protection you'll get on this case." Naru added with another glare.

Takigawa eyed the 6-inch blade. "That's _not_ a friendly looking knife, Lin-san. Couldn't we use something a little…smaller?"

Unable to help himself, the Australian snorted, causing the others to look at him with various degrees of shock. John _never_ sounded rude. Once the priest noted that all eyes were on him, he grinned and reached for his overnight bag. Sometimes he forgot how different Japan was from Australia.

"You call that a knife?" His eyes danced as he remembered his mother's favorite movie. With his back turned to the group, he rooted around in his bag until his hand found a long hard object. "That's not a knife."

As he pulled it from the bag, the Australian turned around to face his friends. Their faces-even Naru's and Lin's-were even more shocked than they had been a moment before when he'd interrupted Takigawa. In his hands was a foot-long machete, something all good outbackers carried with them everywhere. Even when the outbacker had become a priest, and even when he moved to a foreign city. Some things were just ingrained.

John smiled cheerfully as he held up the machete, knowing that it was unlikely that his friends would understand the reference. Still, he had to do it. It was just too easy to pass up. "_This_ is a knife!"

Takigawa gulped, and took the dagger from the Chinese man's loose grip.


	14. Sensible

It's been a while since I saw this movie...It was funny.

FANfiction, peoples.

* * *

The boy looked terrified as he peeped over the bedcovers. His eyes were wide and watery, and it was obvious that he was shaking. With a shaking voice, he finally said what his companion had been waiting to hear.

"I-I see dead people." With barely a whisper, the boy admitted his greatest sin and fear. He breathed in, shuddered, and waited for the expected disbelief. Like everyone else, his new companion would accuse him of lying, or of hallucinating.

But this time, he was surprised. Instead of the regular accusations, his pronouncement was met with a steady, cool gaze. Gulping, the child pulled the covers just a bit further up his face. Somehow, the stare he was receiving was more uncomfortable than all of the worried stares he'd gotten from his mother combined. Even the doctors didn't look so…calculating.

"So, where do you see them? What information do they give you? Have you ever spoken to other psychics about this?" With each question, the boy sank back further into his pillow, looking more and more as if he wants to cry. His companion, however, pays no attention to the child's emotional state. His questions would have continued if the door hadn't been slammed open with enough force to echo down the hospital corridors.

"Naru! How could you?! He's just a child!" Mai Taniyama was the part-time assistant to the full-time ghost hunter Kazuya Shibuya--or at least, that was the name he originally told her. She'd proceeded to nickname him 'Naru,' short for narcissist, and eventually learnt that he was also called Oliver Davis. And that wasn't even including whatever other aliases he'd given people when she wasn't around.

The boy in the bed finally gave in and jerked his head under the covers in terror when the girl had burst into the room. He could still hear her and the man arguing, though, and he secretly hoped that they'd forget about him.

That didn't seem likely to happen, though, with the addition of another intruder. The boy didn't see him, but he heard the words loud and clear. The voice was obnoxiously jovial, especially for the hospital room of a bruised, beaten, and confused little boy.

"Ha! I _told_ you the kid was psychic, Naru! You too, Mai-chan! Pay up!" This started another round of arguments with the girl, and the scary man took the opportunity to try asking the boy more questions.

As he buried his head under his pillow, the boy couldn't help but wish for the days when his visitors could be dispelled with a few prayers. He'd rather see ghosts than deal with these crazy people!


	15. Television Personalities

Short drabble for Kaia-chan. Nope, this isn't her birthday fic, but she was the one who asked for a Bleach crossover. Hahah! This isn't exactly what you were expecting, huh?

FANfiction, luvs!

* * *

Masako was famous for more than just her psychic powers. After all, if it were just the powers the people were interested in, even Mai could have gotten a job! The dark-haired girl scoffed at the thought of her 'friend' working in television. No, to be a television psychic, you needed charisma, beauty, gentility, and, above all, the ability to remain calm in even the most nerve-wracking situations.

So, why did she have this urge to attack the man standing by her side? No, not just an urge. It was a _compulsion_, she _had_ to do it. If she hadn't been a girl with good restraint--much better than her rival Mai's, thank-you-very-much--she would have done it during the taping of the show.

Masako had always thought of herself as a patient person, but this man, after only hours, had driven her crazy with his arrogance--which rivaled even Naru's--and his _annoying_ laugh. Honestly, how had this man become a popular television psychic? He was neither handsome, nor charming, the only things he had going for him were his cheerfulness--which seemed more than a little absurd in context--and the fact that, as shocking as it was, he actually had some power.

"Bwahahaha!! That was a great show!" Suddenly, a booming voice yelled out, startling one of the camera crew into almost dropping the expensive piece of equipment.

Masako shuddered, pulled out of her thoughts by the horror that was Don Kanonji.

"Masako-chan! We should do shows together more often, don't you think?! Bwahahaha!" Kanonji made the clawing motion that Masako had become familiar with in the past few hours. Eyes glazed over, she wondered if he'd like his eyes clawed out. Maybe those tacky glasses were protection from people he'd driven mad?

"I'm afraid that won't be possible, Kanonji-san. I'm going to be so busy in the next few months…" Masako, showing her restraint, held her kimono-covered hand in front of her face. To Kanonji and the others, it looked like graceful shyness, but, as her rival and friend Mai knew, she also used the gesture to cover up any expression that wouldn't fit in with her image. In this case, she was covering a sever grimace from being shown.

"That's too bad! It would be fun for me to have such a pretty young lady as a side-kick!!" Strangely, Masako detected no lecherousness in his face. Grudgingly she admitted--at least to herself--that as obnoxious, annoying, and insane as the man was, he was no pervert.

"Ah, thank you Kanonji-san. But as I said, I have so many commitments that it would be impossible." Suddenly, Masako had an evil idea.

"However, I _do_ have a friend…"


	16. His Funeral

Yep, I come back from a couple months and this is what I post. Now that I'm pretty much settled in school (in America), I should start updating again.

* * *

HIS FUNERAL

When the time came for the condolences and the shared grief, one set of eyes stayed grim and cold and determined. They were serious and calm, and never seemed to see the person they faced.

As everyone gathered, telling stories about him, pretending that he wasn't just a memory; one set of fists remained clenched, white next to the black funeral clothing. The solemn garb wouldn't be taken off for a long while, if ever. It was one way of trying to make him more than the memory he was.

There were people from all over the world in attendance, praising his work and his natural talents and skills. They were ignored because they hadn't known him. The calm cold eyes stared through them, and the fists clenched in fury that these curiosity seekers would dare to come to gawk. Perhaps they hoped for one last 'hurrah' from him, or perhaps they expected something from the one left behind. They were stupid.

Some people watched the face, noted the grinding teeth, and whispered amongst themselves. They were worried, not about the dead, but about the one left behind. They half expected something to happen--a burst of fury or simply some tears--but knew that becoming frozen might be the only way that the child could get through this newest ordeal.

Child. It seemed strange to call such a survivor by that silly word. But there were some things that couldn't be changed by the amount of tragedy in one's life, and having people consider one a child was one of them. No matter that this child had been broken and alone long before any of them had met.

On a nearby table sat a picture frame, about the size of a computer screen, with a photograph of two boys. The sightless gaze finally focused as it landed on one of the boy's faces. Both of them were pale with dark hair, handsome. Twins, look-alikes. But the grieving child could, of course, tell them apart.

A fist unclenched and a soft, undistinguishable noise was muffled as the one left behind reached out to touch the photograph. Those who'd been watching in concern rushed forward as the girl began to collapse.

Only they heard her whisper brokenly, over and over again, pleading for the return of the person who'd become her world.

"_Naru."_


	17. Five Things

Don't own.

Yes, it's been a while. Yes, I plan to update/finish my other stories.

* * *

FIVE THINGS THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN TO TANIYAMA MAI

* * *

1.

Taniyama Satoshi was a hard worker, always ready to put aside his personal time in order to ensure the company's success. That was why his immediate superior found it so odd when the man asked to leave work early that day.

Satoshi himself didn't exactly know why he was doing it; he had never been the type to cut school, finding the worry about what he might miss too annoying. That was how he'd met his wife, a sturdy-looking woman who remained cheerful in spite of a lifelong frailty that meant that she spent more time recuperating in bed than at school. Satoshi had been the one to bring her her work and tutor her.

But that day, Satoshi couldn't help himself from claiming illness and heading home in the middle of the day to be with his wife and two-month old daughter. Walking to the bus stop the next morning, he barely glanced at the crumpled sign and shattered windows that suggested there'd been a car accident there the night before.

His wife, Ann, had heard about it on the news while he was rocking Mai to sleep and had felt a sudden, strange relief when she'd heard that no one had sustained serious injuries.

(Eleven years later, Ann would die of another in a long line of illnesses, and Satoshi would finally accept the transfer to Osaka with a pay-raise he'd been offered. Mai would be sad, but she'd never think to tell her father that she didn't want to go.

One day, when she was sixteen, Mai would have the feeling that she'd missed something important and cry for a week. Satoshi would comfort her, and they'd move on with their lives.)

2.

Though Taniyama Mai loved ghost stories, when her friends suggested telling them in the classroom after school that day, she had to say no. She hadn't had a chance to do her laundry last weekend due to a babysitting job that had gone on for much longer than she'd anticipated.

The next morning, she'd go to school early, ignoring the old school building as she always had. She'd defend the weird girl in class to her friends during break and simply roll her eyes when they started cooing over a handsome stranger they'd seen talking to the principal. All in all, it was a normal day for Taniyama Mai.

3.

Taniyama Mai was a reasonable, practical person. She had to be, having raised herself for most of her life. But, it was a fact that she was also an intuitive person, so when she dreamt of her mother and a lake, she borrowed some money from her friend Keiko and got on a train heading north.

She was dozing off when a boy her age asked if the seat next to her was free. He was a bit too handsome, but he seemed kind, so she said yes. They talked for the entire six-hour trip and Mai ended up telling him not only about her life before and after her mother's death, but also about her moments of intuition and the nightmares she can never quite remember.

The boy--who'd introduced himself as Gene Davis--grew thoughtful at that and asked her where she was going. Without thinking, Mai named an inn she'd never heard of, and Gene smiled and said that he was staying there as well. When she admitted that she had no idea where the words had come from and the inn was probably full, Gene offered to let her stay in his room, with promises of not being a pervert or weirdo.

Mai, fully accepting that her intuition had guided her to the mysterious boy, agreed.

(Two days later, she'd wake up from dreams about being hit by a car and dumped in a lake. Gene would comfort her as best he could, but she'd continue to have that dream for the rest of her life.)

A few months later, after countless emails, Gene would finally introduce Mai to his younger twin, Noll. Noll wouldn't be as sweet as Gene, and Mai would often find herself arguing with him as he tested her for psychic abilities.

(She'd never tell him, but she enjoyed their arguments. He'd never tell her that he felt the same. Gene would do the telling for both of them.)

Six years after meeting Gene Davis, Taniyama Mai would move to England to join the twins in their psychic phenomenon research and investigation group. Two years after that, Noll--who Mai called Naru because of his narcissism--would sigh and say that, since it seemed like she'd be around forever, he may as well marry her, if only because 'Davis Investigations' sounded better than 'Davis and Taniyama Investigations.'

Seven months later, she would give birth to a girl, and Gene would have ammunition for teasing his brother for the next five years, until Noll and Mai's second and third children, twin boys, came along.

(Noll's assistant, Koujo Lin, would do his best to spoil the girl. Mai was the only one who knew that Lin was incapable of having children, and she would eventually suggest--casually--to her husband that wouldn't it be nice if their daughter was trained as an Onmyouji as well?)

4.

Mai thought about Naru's offer of a job, trying to examine all of the angles as quickly as possible. She did want to see Naru and the others again, but the whole 'ghost-hunting' part was nerve-wracking. After taking a deep breath, she gave her answer.

("But still, would you like to come over for dinner one night? I'm a good cook."

"Sure.")

5.

Mai glared at the man in front of her, shocked that he could say something so _stupid._

"Naru, how could I fall in love with someone I thought was just a dream? _You're_ the one I like, sour attitude, narcissism, arrogance, and all."

Naru blinked, unsure of what he should say. All girls preferred his brother; he'd been accidentally confessed to before, and he'd assumed that this time would be the same. No one, except Gene, had ever imagined that someone could like him the way he was; even his adoring mother had said that he'd need to change to get a girlfriend.

With this running through his mind, he looked at Mai again, examined his memories of their interactions. He found himself smiling again as the stepped closer to the girl, enjoying the way her eyes widened and knowing that Gene would have been cheering him on, if he were there.

("Thank you."

"For what?"

"The tea, of course.")


End file.
